The Infinite Tunnel
by brookyss36
Summary: Newt is captured by Grindelwald who's willing to do whatever it takes to find Credence. Can his friends rescue him in time before it's too late? Newt whump fic.
1. Darkness

**Hey guys! So obviously, I need to preface this story by apologizing to my previous readers. I had uploaded this story a while back, but wasn't feeling happy with the direction of it. So, I took it off and have spent a month or so writing and rewriting and I think I finally have it to a place that I'm happy with. The story is nearly all written, so I'll try to update it every few days or so. (It's still all about Newt and whumpage and all that goodness, don't worry)**

 **To any new readers, thanks for reading!**

 ***As a warning, this story does include torture, but nothing too major.***

 **Enjoy! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Face to Face**

* * *

"Credence, I owe you an apology."

Graves stood, arms spread wide, looking through 3 busted, brick walls at the skinny, shaking boy. He had made a serious misjudgment, but he hoped it wasn't too late to salvage the situation.

"Credence." He watched the boy carefully. "You can control this."

At these words Credence looked up at Graves; the shaking was becoming uncontrollable.

"I don't think I want to, Mr. Graves."

Suddenly, Creedence convulsed and his body erupted into a huge, swirling billow of black smoke. For a second, Graves thought Credence was going to smash right into him. Instead he swerved away, floating through the streets in a flurry of black smoke.

In a split second decision, Graves procured a note from his wand, sending it soaring through the air to the MACUSA headquarters, his mind racing ahead.

It read: I have the obscurial. Don't send reinforcements, it'll only make things worse. I'll send another note if backup is necessary.

With a sharp crack, Graves had disapperated, following Credence's trail.

* * *

 _Around the same time..._

Newt, Tina, Queenie, and Jacob looked at the streets below.

With a start, Newt saw Credence: a billowing, thunderous black cloud, moving quickly down the empty streets, an eerie roar emanating from within the mass.

"Look, there!" He pointed and the others looked, they all gasped.

With a burst of adrenaline, Newt turned to Tina, thrusting his case in her arms.

"If anything should happen, look after my creatures."

Suddenly, he sprang from the building and with a crack he was gone.

"Newt! Oh, geez..."

Tina turned to Queenie, thrusting the case into her sister's arms.

"Here, look after this."

Tina followed Newt's lead, jumping off the building and disappearing with a crack.

Queenie turned to Jacob, holding out the case.

"Here, honey. Hold onto this."

Jacob grabbed Queenie's arm, stopping her.

"Woah, woah, woah, I'm coming with ya!"

Queenie looked away anxiously.

"Oh, but it's too dangerous for a no-maj."

Jacob looked at her earnestly. "But you said I was one of you."

"That's true, but..." Queenie looked at Jacob, reading his mind, his thoughts going back to the war. She took a step toward him and placed a hand on his cheek. "Oh, honey. I never knew." With a crack, they disapparated.

* * *

 _On the streets below..._

The black mass that was Credence came to a stop above a subway tunnel entrance, funneling downward until he was a boy once again. He looked around, nervous, before he descended the steps to the tunnels below.

* * *

 _Off in the distance..._

Newt and Tina crouched behind a car, watching as Credence disappeared from their view toward the tunnels.

"I'll go after him. I think he'll listen to me."

Tina started standing up, but Newt gently grabbed her arm, pulling her back down.

"Let's both go. Just in case."

A smile pulled at Tina's lips and she nodded, trying to suppress the rising of butterflies in her stomach the arose from Newt's touch. Together they jumped out from behind the car and raced down the steps towards Credence, completely unaware that they weren't alone.

* * *

 _In a nearby alleyway..._

Graves watched as Tina and the man he had recently come to know as Newt Scamander sprinted down the stairs toward Credence. Taking a moment to collect his thoughts and formulate a plan, he stepped out from the shadows and slowly made his way toward them.

* * *

 _In the tunnels..._

Newt and Tina skidded to a halt once they entered the tunnels, both noticing billowing smoke gently cascading down the tunnel wall. Tina placed a hand on Newt's chest, indicating him to remain behind. Cautiously she made her way toward Credence.

"Credence. Credence, do you remember me? My name's Tina. I...I work for MACUSA, the magic government."

She looked nervously back at Newt, who gave her an encouraging nod.

"Do...do you remember that day I came to your home Credence? I stopped your mother that day. I'm sorry that I couldn't stop her again. You see, I got in trouble for what I did. But...but that doesn't mean I can't help you now, Credence."

She watched in amazement as Credence slowly turned into himself, now sitting on the ground, hugging his knees. He was looking at Tina with innocence and fear.

Tina smiled kindly. "Newt and I, we can get you out of here, Credence. We can help you learn to control your powers. Help you learn what it means to be a wizard."

Tina watched as Credence's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Can I come over to you, Credence?"

Credence nodded and Tina walked closer, this time with more confidence.

Suddenly, a bright blue flash illuminated the tunnel and Tina twisted around as she heard Newt cry out.

"Newt!" She watched as he flew through the air towards them, landing on his back. Almost as soon as his body hit the ground, he was on his feet again, sending a flurry of hexes toward Graves, and running toward Tina and Credence.

"Let's go!"

He grabbed Tina's arm and she grabbed Credence's hand and the trio took off running as fast as they could from Graves, sending hexes from over their shoulders. They skidded around a corner and Newt grabbed Tina's shoulders, she was still clutching Credence, who appeared to be in shock.

"Listen, Tina. You have to get Credence out of here. If my suspicions are true, Graves is far more dangerous than we realized and his motives for wanting Credence are definitely sinister."

Tina nodded, understanding what Newt was implying. Newt panted, looking around, expecting Graves to appear at any moment.

"Take Credence to your place. Then send a message to Dumbledore, explain everything. Tell him to come here as quickly as he can. Tell him it's of the upmost importance."

Tina looked at Newt with wide, scared eyes. "But, Newt, what about you, let's all go..."

Newt shook his head; he was losing patience. "We need a distraction..." He looked at Tina intently, staring into her eyes. "Don't come back for me without Dumbledore. He's the only one who can stop him."

Tears sprang to Tina's eyes and she leapt at Newt, wrapping her arms around him. After a moment of shock, Newt returned the affection, but then quickly pushed her away; they were losing precious time.

"Go, now."

Silent tears were running down her face as she gripped Credence's hand once again. With a small reassuring smile, there was a crack, and they were gone.

Newt turned to sprint down the tunnel until he heard a snap through the air. As he was running, he turned to deflect the spell, but he was too slow. A blue shock struck him on the side and with a grunt, he was thrown through the air and onto the ground once again.

He was slower to get up this time. Another blue flash came at him but this time he was able to deflect it, barely. He shot a couple of hexes toward Graves, who was quickly walking toward Newt, but Graves deflected them with ease, as if he was swatting away a fly. In response, Graves sent a flurry of blue flashes at Newt.

Staggering backwards, Newt felt sweat bead on his forehead as he deflected the first spell. He gripped both hands on his wand as he deflected the second spell. By the time the third spell reached Newt, he didn't stand a chance. Again, he was knocked to his back, gasping for air, his wand had flown from his hand and was lying about 6 feet away.

He rolled onto his side and tried to scoot towards it; painfully aware of Graves footsteps, which were getting closer.

He cried out and squirmed, rolling onto his back as another flash struck him. Again, he attempted to scoot towards his wand, but he knew it was no good, he could feel that Graves was now standing near.

Newt knew it was coming. As much as he tried, he couldn't hold back the scream that erupted from his mouth as another blue flash struck his spasming body, this one lasting much longer than the others. It felt like every nerve in his body was on fire and every muscle he had was being painfully constricted.

Finally, it ended. He laid there, gasping on the ground, looking up at the dirty ceiling of the tunnel through half lidded eyes. He heard a whoosh as he saw his wand fly overhead into the outstretched hand of Graves.

"Now, now," Graves was kneeling next to Newt, one hand placed on his chest. "Don't tap out on me now, there's so much that I need you to tell me. First, where did Tina take Credence?"

Newt responded by looking up at Graves with as much determination and hatred as he could muster, even though all he really felt was fear.

Graves smirked and stood up, pointing his wand in the air. A silvery, orange stream shot from the end of his wand. It hit the ceiling of the tunnel and spread outward, shielding them in a dome that was about 50 feet from end to end.

"There." Graves stood over Newt, admiring his handiwork. "No one in or out."

He crouched down by Newt again.

"Where is Credence?"

Newt smiled slightly with anticipation. "Why would I tell you? Gellert Grindelwald."

Grave's smirked dropped and he stood up abruptly, staring down at Newt with contempt. With a flick of his wand, Newt was brought up to his knees and his arms behind his back. Invisible bonds secured him in place and he swayed slightly against them, breathing heavily.

Grave's slowly circled Newt. "That's right...I am Grindelwald. I must say I'm impressed that you figured it out. However, that's irrelevant. I'll ask once more: where is Credence."

Newt set his jaw and stared off into the distance. He was aware what was about to happen to him, he just hoped that it wouldn't last long; he hoped that Dumbledore would be coming to his rescue soon.

Newt tensed involuntarily as he heard the mumbled words a split second before he felt it.

"Crucio!"

Newt had been through his fair share of pain in life. That was part of his job description, dealing with dangerous creatures. But nothing he had ever experienced even came close to this. He had heard of the effects of the cruciatus curse, but he never thought it would be this excruciating.

He heard his screams bounce off of the walls and pain exploded over his whole body. It felt like someone was poking him all over with white hot knives.

It suddenly stopped and Newt was left sagging against his invisible bonds, panting and sweating. Grindelwald knelt in front of Newt, looking at him with mock concern.

"Where's the boy?" It came out as a harsh whisper that Newt barely heard. He looked down at the ground, trying to maintain his composure. Suddenly, Graves grabbed Newt's face, roughly jerking his head up so they were eye to eye.

"Tell me."

Newt felt a surge of panic rise inside of him as he looked into Grindelwald's eyes. If there was any shred of sanity there before, it was now long gone. Instead, there were only manic, wild eyes. Eyes that didn't care about anyone else. Eyes that would do anything it took to get what they wanted.

"Crucio."

He whispered it, but it didn't make the attack any less vicious. Another scream tore from Newt's mouth. The sound of it was so foreign to him. It felt so surreal. It was like he was watching it all happen from above. He could feel his body shaking and convulsing. He could hear his screams of pain, but it couldn't really be him. Could it? How was it possible that Newt Scamander, the meek, gentle magizoologist, was being tortured by the greatest dark wizard of his time, Gellert Grindelwald.

Grindelwald paused, standing in front of Newt, his face contorted by rage. He barely gave him time to catch his breath before he struck him with the curse again.

"CRUCIO!"

Newt threw his head back and cried out. His mind raced toward Tina and he tried to grab onto the image of her, it was elusive though. He couldn't seem to focus on anything as the white hot daggers relentlessly prodded him. His thoughts drifted towards his creatures, but the happy thoughts were whisked away again. With a jolt, his mind latched onto something else, a new thought of hope.

Dumbledore. Please, hurry, Dumbledore.

For a moment the hope clouded the agony he was in, but it didn't last long. The hopeful thought faded from view until he was left with nothing but the realization of the pain that was completely consuming him.

* * *

 _Tina's apartment, 30 minutes earlier..._

With a crack, Tina and Credence apparated in the living room of her apartment. Queenie and Jacob stood up, shocked by their sudden appearance. Tina guided Credence to the sofa, sitting him down.

"Just sit here Credence, everything's going to be fine, I promise."

Tina rushed to her desk in the living room, pulling out paper and a pen, frantically writing.

Queenie darted over to Tina's side. "Teenie, what is..."

Her face fell as she read Tina's thoughts. "Dumbledore...you mean Newt is still down there with him? With Graves..." She read her mind again and her hand shot to her mouth. "...Grindelwald. Oh, Teenie."

Tina continued scribbling frantically. "I have to get this to Dumbledore. It's very important that he gets this as quickly as possible." She rolled the note up and stood up to face Queenie. "Newt's life depends on it."

She rushed past Queenie and opened their owl's cage, tying the note to his leg.

"Jack, I need you to deliver this to Albus Dumbledore as fast as you can. It's urgent."

As if she'd said the magic word, Jack the owl sprung from his cage and out the open window, soaring through the quiet night air.

Jacob finally found his voice, he had been eyeing Credence, who was sitting on the couch in apparent shock.

"Wait, is this Grindlewald guy the super dangerous wizard you guys were talking about before?"

Tina was too busy pacing the length of the living room to respond. Queenie glanced at her uncertainly before she turned to Jacob to respond.

She nodded. "Yeah, he's the worst dark wizard we've ever had."

Jacob's face went slack. "And...and Newt's down there with him right now?"

Queenie nodded sadly.

There was a panic to his voice now. "Well, why aren't we going down there? Or...or calling your magic government for help? Surely they can..."

Tina stopped pacing and faced Jacob. "No, we can't ask them. Unfortunately, we don't know who we can trust over there. Plus…"

She jerked a thumb at Credence, who was completely oblivious. Jacob nodded.

"Oh, right."

"Right now," Tina continued, "Dumbledore's our only hope."

Queenie nodded, reinforcing Tina's answer. "That's right, honey. Dumbledore's the only one that can defeat Grindelwald."

Jacob nodded, not entirely convinced, but a new confused though flitted through his brain. "But, why didn't Newt just come with you?"

A silence settled over the room and Queenie read her sister's thoughts. She was about to respond, but Credence beat her to it.

"It's because of me."

All eyes turned to Credence, who was sitting still on the couch; he was staring at his shoes.

Tina's demeanor softened. "Credence...that's not true."

Credence responded quietly. "Yes, it is."

Tina sighed and sat next to Credence, grabbing his hands in hers. He looked up at her through wide eyes. He seemed so much younger than he was, like a child.

"It is not your fault, Credence. The only person at fault here is Grindelwald...Graves, whatever you want to call him. He tried to use you Credence. He wanted to use your powers, to manipulate your ability for evil."

She squeezed his hands as she saw tears spring to his eyes.

"Newt and I, all we wanted was for you to be safe. Dumbledore, the wizard who's coming here soon, he's a great wizard. The greatest of our age. He'll defeat Grindelwald and save Newt. I know it."

She was aware that she was trying to convince herself just as much as Credence. With a sudden rush of affection, she pulled Credence into a hug and was surprised to feel wetness on her face. She looked up at Jacob and Queenie, who were looking at her with admiration.

Tina could only think one thing though.

C'mon, Dumbledore. Please, hurry.


	2. Survive

**Hey all! First off, thanks for the reviews and follows!**

 **Second, I should note that the first two chapters are the same as before, but it'll start to slowly change course after that.**

 **Anyways, here's chapter 2. Enjoy!**

* * *

With a flick of his wand, Grindelwald pulled the nearly unconscious Newt Scamander to his feet, pulling his arms above his head. He had removed his heavy jacket so his torso was covered only by his thin, white long sleeve shirt, which was rolled up to his elbows. He was surprised at how resilient Newt had been to the cruciatus curse, but he knew he could break him, he just hoped he could break him in time. Dumbledore was surely on his way and, even though he was confident his barrier would stop even him, he would rather avoid that conflict.

He walked in a circle around Newt, whose arms were pulled tightly above his head by invisible bonds, his feet barely touching the ground. His breathing was laborious and he couldn't control the slight tremor that occasionally racked his body.

Newt was finding it difficult to maintain a level of calm. He had been with Grindelwald for nearly an hour and each additional minute that passed put him in a further state of panic; he wasn't sure how much more he could take. He shifted uncomfortably, pulling slightly at his restraints; his wrists were beginning to ache from the tension. Nervously, he watched Grindelwald pacing around him, clearly formulating the next best method of torture. His heart jumped when Grindelwald stopped in front of him and turned to face him; his eyes still held that familiar maniacal look.

"I don't really need to repeat the question, do I?"

Newt swallowed, raising his head so he was at eye level with Grindelwald.

"No."

A moment of silence passed between them.

Grindelwald yelled and lunged at Newt, punching him hard in the stomach. Newt wheezed, doubling over as much as his restraints would allow. Grindelwald sent fist after fist flying, striking Newt's face. Again and again and again. It seemed that magic couldn't satiate Grindelwald's frustration; he needed physical violence. When the outburst had finally ended, Newt was left hanging, nearly completely limp, warm blood trickling from his nose and mouth. He could already feel his left eye swelling and he had a pain and warmth across his right temple, where he had a nasty gash, leaving the right side of face covered in blood.

Newt managed to find his feet and regained some of his composure, spitting blood onto the dirty floor. The physical outburst had surprised him.

Grindelwald now had his back to Newt and appeared to be doing something with his wand. Newt couldn't help but feel somewhat amazed as he watched Grindelwald slowly change from Graves into himself. His dark hair was changing into a platinum blonde and when he turned around, Newt couldn't help but gasp slightly. A pale man was now looking at him and his eyes...one was like bright gold and the other brown; the sight sent a shiver down Newt's spine.

Without another word, Grindelwald walked past Newt, now standing behind him. Newt pulled at his restraints, craning his neck, trying to look at Grindelwald. He heard a woosh as Grindelwald brought his wand down through the air. Newt's body involuntary arched and he gasped as a white hot pain struck him hard across his back. He felt a blinding pain and then a warmth before he heard another whoosh through the air. Again, his body arched and he groaned through gritted teeth. Grindelwald struck him again and again and Newt squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the pain. He kept his jaw locked, trying his best to choke back the screams, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. He could feel a warmth slowly oozing down his back and he suddenly realized that his pain was literally physical, unlike the cruciatus curse, which didn't cause any physical damage.

Whoosh!

Newt cried out as Grindelwald struck him again with the invisible whip. He groaned as was surprised to feel wet hot tears silently streaming down his face. Squeezing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth, all he could do was endure.

* * *

About the same time at Tina's apartment...

Tina had resumed her nervous pacing of the living room. Credence remained seated on the couch, but he now had a steaming hot mug of hot cocoa in his hands thanks to Queenie, who was sitting at the dining table, ringing her hands. Jacob was leaning against the wall, a stiff drink in hand, looking out the window into the cool, dark night, watching for any sign of movement.

Tina's jittery voice broke the silence.

"Queenie, can you...can you try to read Newt's mind from here? I know it's far, but...but at least we'd know if he's alive."

She looked at Queenie expectantly, realizing that what she was asking was probably impossible, but she was desperate; she had to know, one way or another.

Queenie nodded slightly, looking pale. "Sure, Teenie. I can try." She stood up and looked around, she was unsure how to proceed.

Tina took a couple of excited steps toward her, an idea springing to mind. "Maybe if you hold an item of his?"

Nodding slightly, Queenie watched as her sister ran into the guest bedroom, quickly emerging with Newt's scarf clutched tightly in her hand. She rushed over to Queenie and handed her the scarf. Queenie held the scarf in her hands and looked sadly at her sister. She knew how much she had come to care for Newt and she was terrified that, if she could read Newt's mind, that the result wouldn't be good.

Queenie looked down at the old yellow and blue scarf, gripping it tightly in both hands. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, thinking of Newt and his location.

And, suddenly, it hit her.

She dropped to her knees as a flurry of emotions flitted through her brain, the most predominant feeling being pain. She could feel Tina's hand on her and could feel her concern, but she redirected her focus on Newt. She could feel his agony in a way only an onlooker could but she could also feel Grindelwald. His anger and dark energy was so strong.

She pushed Grindelwald away and brought her attention back to Newt. His pain was coming in giant, roaring waves. His thoughts were mostly incoherent and jumbled, but she could catch glimpses of her sister and of his creatures. Suddenly, the pain stopped; he had lost consciousness.

Queenie was breathing heavily as she continued to probe Newt's mind.

Queenie...is that you? I can...feel you...Please...help...Grindelwald...insane...need Dumbledore quick...don't know...how much longer...I can make it...tell Tina that...I love her...

With a sob, Queenie opened her eyes, releasing her grip on Newt's scarf, letting it fall limply to the floor. All eyes were on her and she became aware that she was crying. She looked up at Tina who was kneeling next to her, her eyes full of concern.

"Queenie, what happened?"

"Newt, he's...alive."

Tina breathed a sigh of relief, but she knew there was more.

"Grindelwald, Newt said he's insane." She couldn't hold back a sob as she stared at the floor.

A comforting arm wrapped around her as she felt Jacob next to her.

Tina set her jaw, preparing herself for what she was about to hear.

"Tina, Newt...he's in bad shape. Oh, he's in so much pain, Teenie. He's torturing him."

Tina stood up abruptly turning away from her sister.

"Teenie, Newt wanted me to tell you..."

Credence, who had remained silent was now staring out the window, looking out excitedly. He interrupted Queenie.

"I think someone's coming.

Tina rushed to Credence's side, squinting her eyes trying to look through the darkness. Queenie and Jacob were close behind craning their necks to get a look. Sure enough, a black figure was soaring through the air, nearing closer and closer.

"Is it Jack?" Queenie asked curiously.

"No..." Tina replied breathily. "I think it's Dumbledore."

The figure was getting larger and larger, until...

"Everyone get back!" The four of them ducked and dodged as a man flew quite brilliantly through the window. He pulled to a stop in the living room and dismounted his broom, his grey hair and beard flowing spectacularly from his windswept journey. He was so tall, he could have easily touched the ceiling and his face was one of kindness, even though he was carrying himself with urgency. He looked down on the four of them, all sprawled on the ground, through bright blue eyes and half-moon spectacles. Under other circumstances, he would have found the situation quite amusing.

Tina hopped up off of the ground and stared in awe at the great wizard now standing in her living room. The rest of the group slowly pulled themselves to their feet and did the same.

"Dumbledore..." She heard herself whisper, barely daring to believe it.

He rushed over to her, grasping her arms with strong hands and staring at her intently with fierce eyes. "Where is Credence?"

"He's...he's right here." She motioned to Credence, who was shrinking back. "Dumbledore, we have to hurry...Newt..."

Dumbledore stepped away from Tina mumbling, "good, good," searching for something in his robe, she wasn't sure if he'd heard her.

"I understand your concern, Miss Goldstein, and I do apologize for the rude introduction, or lack thereof. However, as you've said, this is a moment of urgency. Grindelwald is a highly dangerous and well equipped wizard and it doesn't bode well that Newt is with him."

Tina watched with awe and slight frustration as Dumbledore continued to take precious time to rummage through his pockets.

She wasn't sure what to say, but somehow it just came out.

"Yes, clearly this is a moment of urgency. Newt's being tortured right now!"

Dumbledore continued his search, not bothering to look at Tina.

"Quite right. I've been down there already, passed by quickly. Grindelwald has the area quite secured. He has established an extremely strong and impenetrable force around himself and Mr. Scamander."

Tina looked wildly around at Queenie and Jacob, who were still staring in awe.

"An...impenetrable force? But, but you're the great Albus Dumbledore, can't you get through it?"

Dumbledore shook his head.

"I'm afraid it's not quite that simple. Ah, there it...no, never mind, just my deluminator. Drats..."

Abruptly, Dumbledore shut his robes looking up, staring intently at Credence.

"The force that Grindelwald created was created by dark, dark magic. It's not something that a swish of a wand can get rid of. It will take equally powerful magic to destroy it."

Tina followed his gaze and looked at Credence, who's back was now against the wall. She suddenly realized what Dumbledore was saying and she put herself in front of Dumbledore, blocking his path to Credence.

"No, no, no. He can't control it yet. It's too dangerous."

Dumbledore, however, was looking only at Credence. He spoke to him softly.

"Credence, my name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and I am here only to help save your friend. I'm sure you've heard what I've just said and..."

"I'll do it."

Tina whirled around to look at Credence, who suddenly looked brave and strong, quite the contrast to the scared boy he was before.

Dumbledore clapped and grinned, walking over to Credence; apparently the matter was settled. "Excellent! Shall we?"

Tina held up an arm. "Wait, Credence, are you sure about this?"

Credence nodded fiercely, the look in his eyes gave her hope somehow.

"Okay, but I'm going with you."

She marched over to the two of them and gripped Dumbledore's arm.

Dumbledore looked down at her with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

And with a crack, they left Queenie and Jacob standing in stunned silence.


	3. Flight

Thanks again for the follows and reviews. It means a lot! Chapter 3 is pretty much the same as before, but everything changes after that! Hope you all enjoy chapter 3. :)

* * *

 _In the subway_ …

Newt cracked open his eyes, but he instantly regretted it. He had a splitting headache and an overall sensation of pain and discomfort; he decided unconsciousness was a far better alternative and thought he'd like to stay that way. And then, suddenly, he remembered everything that had happened to him up to this point. His eyes shot open and he frantically looked all around, immediately becoming aware of his change of position. He was now sitting, chained to the cold, brick wall. His arms were slightly suspended above his head, but the chains were long enough for him to stand. He could feel dried blood caked on the right side of his face and his left eye was nearly swollen shut. Every time he took a breath he felt stabs of pain in his ribcage; he assumed he had a few cracked or broken ribs. His back was in much worse shape; any movement he made sent a sharp shock of pain shooting across it. He had been through painful experiences before, but this took the cake, by far.

A cold, flat voice pulled Newt from his thoughts.

"Have you had a change of heart, yet, Mr. Scamander?"

Newt jerked his head up to look at Grindelwald who was leaning against the wall opposite of him.

Newt couldn't help but chuckle; this was all so crazy.

"I can't say that I have."

Grindelwald sighed deeply, pushing off of the wall.

"That's too bad. You see, we're running out of time." He paused walking towards Newt. "I know that Dumbledore will be coming, but I also know that he cannot break this barrier without the aid of Credence and I doubt that will go over well."

He raised his eyebrows with amusement as he watched Newt take those words in.

"And," he continued, "you know Tina will come along, that's a given. She's always showing up when she's least wanted. And I'd hate to have anything happen to her."

Newt groaned as he got to his feet, trying to find his balance.

"If you hurt her..."

Grindelwald was face to face with Newt now.

"Then tell me where the boy is. Tell me and I promise to leave her unharmed."

Newt stared at Grindelwald; he was unsure of what to say, so he remained silent.

Grindelwald grabbed Newt by his collar and shoved him up against the brick wall.

He whispered. "I'll make her suffer," he shoved him again, "is that what you want?"

Newt felt the all too familiar rise of panic inside; he didn't know what to do or say.

Grindelwald took a step back and raised his wand.

"What should we try this time?"

Newt stiffened, absentmindedly pulling against the chains.

With a smile, Grindelwald twirled his wand between his fingers and Newt watched as the tip of the wand got red hot. He closed his eyes for a moment as Grindelwald approached and held the tip of the wand over Newt's left side. He clenched his jaw as the heat intensified until, finally, the tip made contact with his shirt, quickly burning through to the skin.

Newt cried out and pulled against the chains, looking down at Grindelwald's wand, which he was now moving along Newt's side. Newt screamed; sweat beaded on his forehead and his body spasmed as Grindelwald trailed the wand along Newt's torso.

With a smile, Grindelwald stepped back admiring his handiwork. Newt's breath was coming out in huffs as he tentatively looked down at the damage. He couldn't stop the whimper that escaped through his lips when he saw what Grindelwald had done; he had burned his own initials into Newt's skin.

Grindelwald approached again. Newt felt a fresh wave of fury as he kicked out and struck Grindelwald in the ribs; he was satisfied to hear a crack as Grindelwald cried out, stumbling backward.

His victory was short lived.

Grindelwald straightened up and looked at Newt through crazed eyes, bringing his wand up.

"CRUCIO!"

Newt thought his body was literally going to explode. He dropped to his knees and felt a pop in his right shoulder, but he barely even noticed it, the pain was so intense. His screams tore through his already sore throat and he couldn't feel or see anything; there was only agony. His body was violently convulsing; he didn't know if he could take anymore.

This is it. Newt thought to himself. Finally, this is it...At least Tina knows that I love her...

And then he heard the sweetest voice. A voice that was able to break through the wall of pain that was consuming him.

"NEWT!"

Tina.

* * *

 _Ten minutes earlier..._

Dumbledore raced along the empty city streets, Tina and Credence following closely behind. The subway entrance was right ahead and Tina felt so much suspense and tension inside she didn't know if she could stand it. She was surprised to see how calm and collected Credence had been up to this point, it made her happy to see that he trusted them.

They skidded to a halt at the steps to the tunnel, looking down into the darkness. An eerie quietness settled upon them and Tina strained her ears for any sign of life below. She took a step forward; she thought she could hear something.

She gasped as a faint scream echoed up the stairs.

"Newt," she whispered. With a jolt of adrenaline, she pulled out her wand and sprinted down the stairs; any trace of fear or uncertainty was now gone. Her feet were a blur beneath her as she tore down the steps and down the tunnel. She heard Dumbledore call out her name behind her, but she couldn't stop.

As she weaved through the tunnel, she noticed the screaming was getting louder; she was close. She rounded the final corner and came face to face with a translucent barrier. She looked past the barrier and saw Grindelwald, wand up, standing in front of Newt who was on his knees, arms pulled back painfully by chains, screaming and shaking uncontrollably.

She couldn't stop herself.

"NEWT!"

Grindelwald snapped his attention to Tina, stopping the curse. Tina couldn't keep her eyes off of Newt though, who was now limply leaning against the wall. She could hear Dumbledore and Credence approaching, now standing by her side. She could hear Dumbledore's booming voice, but she couldn't understand a word he was saying; it felt like she was in a dream.

"Grindelwald. This has gone far enough."

Grindelwald walked up to the barrier, standing face to face with Dumbledore; he was smiling.

"Of course, you're right, dear old friend. Just give me the boy and I'll give you Mr. Scamander." He turned and gestured towards Newt who was now trying to stand up with great difficulty.

Dumbledore's voice rumbled, seeing that Credence was becoming nervous again. "Give us Mr. Scamander and I'll make sure you have a fair trial."

Grindelwald laughed, sauntering back over to Newt. He replied vehemently. "You can keep your fair trial."

"No!" Tina cried out as Grindelwald sent bolts of blue electricity at Newt. He cried out as each bolt struck and his body shook. Out of the corner of his eye though, he could see Credence was changing shape, he was changing into the obscurus. And with a great roar, Credence struck the barrier causing it to fizzle from view. Grindelwald pulled away from Newt, looking up in awe at Credence who was now hovering above.

Grindelwald grimaced; this wasn't going like he planned; it was going to be impossible to persuade Credence with Dumbledore right there. In a split second decision, he made a lunge for Newt. As he did so, Credence rushed down, barely missing him. Grindelwald grabbed Newt's arm and looked up at Dumbledore, a grimacing smile on his face.

"This isn't over!"

And with a crack, he and Newt were gone.

Tina raced forward, but it was too late.

"No!" She screamed, her voice bouncing down the walls. She looked up at Credence, who was sort of hovering above, as if he was confused. With a great roar, he soared past Tina and Dumbledore, flying out of the subway tunnel.

"Credence!" Dumbledore roared, taking a few steps toward him, but Credence didn't stop. "Merlin's beard…" He turned to Tina who was standing in shock. He rushed over to her, grabbing her arms, giving her a slight shake. "Tina! I have to go after Credence. If it's he that Grindelwald is after, then his safety needs to me my top priority."

This pulled Tina out of her state of shock.

"You need to protect _him?_ What about Newt?" She felt heat rise to her face. "Don't we need to protect him?"

Dumbledore sighed, he sounded weary and tired.

"I understand your feelings for Mr. Scamander and I understand your desires to ensure his safety but, if Grindelwald manages lure Credence to him somehow and convince him to join him," Dumbledore shuddered, "it would mean terror and destruction like we've never known before."

Tina didn't answer. She knew he was right but she didn't like it.

"I'll find Credence and then we'll find Newt. I promise we'll find him. Grindelwald knew he was fighting a losing battle tonight, but next time will be different, I promise."

"How? How will it be different?" Tina looked up at Grindelwald through glossy, red eyes.

Dumbledore smiled, but it didn't meet his eyes.

"I'll see you soon."

With a crack he was gone, leaving Tina alone with her misery in the dark tunnels. She stood there for a while, feeling completely lost, unsure of the next step. Sure, Dumbledore had a task, a mission, but what was she supposed to do? Wait?

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something blue and familiar. She recognized it in an instant: Newt's overcoat. She pulled it into her arms, searching for the front pocket immediately finding what she was looking for.

"Pickett."

A little green face peered out of the pocket, the edges of his leaves burned.

"Oh, Pickett. Are you alright?"

Pickett made a noise that said he was alright, but knew Newt wasn't.

"I know, I know." Tina sent him on her shoulder and he quickly scuttled down into her front pocket, little eyes peeking over the top.

"We'll find him I promise."

* * *

 _At Tina and Queenie's apartment…_

 _Crack!_

Grindelwald apparated in Tina and Queenie's apartment, gripping a very weak and bloodied Newt, whose hands were tied behind his back by invisible bonds. They apparated in the living room in front of the couch and came face to face with a very shocked Queenie and Jacob, who both gasped simultaneously at their new guests' arrival.

For a brief moment, both parties just looked at each other, until Grindelwald, wand raised, growled, "where is the case?"

Queenie suddenly remembered she was a witch and whipped her wand out, quickly shooting out a hex. Grindelwald deflected it lazily and whipped his wand, sending her wand flying from her hand through the air.

He let go of Newt, who immediately feel to his knees, leaning against the couch for support. Jacob took a step toward him, anger boiling from seeing his friend hurt so bad, his mind drifting back to when Queenie read Newt's mind earlier.

"Newt…"

Queenie flung an arm in front of him as Grindelwald raised his wand.

"Where is the case?"

All of a sudden, he felt a strange itching sensation in his head. Then he noticed the blonde girl staring at him. She was staring so intently.

Then her eyes went wide and she looked down at Newt.

She whispered, "No," then she stepped forward, "please, don't do this."

"A legilimens…" For a moment he was silent, lost in thought. Then he held out a hand towards Queenie. Her hands flew to her throat as she felt the air being constricted; it was getting harder and harder to breath.

Jacob tried to take a step forward, but he found his feet were magically rooted to the spot. Newt struggled against his bonds and tried to stand up until Grindelwald suddenly stopped, simultaneously dropping his arm and punching Newt hard in the face.

 _"_ _It doesn't matter. You can't stop me anyways."_ He thought, only for Queenie to hear.

Newt fell to the ground with a thud, fresh blood flowing from his newly split lip. Grindelwald viciously kicked Newt again and again in his exposed stomach and he cried out, feeling a crack where Grindelwald kicked him; he pulled his knees in, trying to block Grindelwald's attack. His out of socket shoulder was screaming in protest.

Queenie sank to her knees, in shock over the sudden outburst of violence. She looked at Newt, being attacked by Grindelwald. She had never felt so helpless in her life.

"Okay!" She sputtered, on the verge of tears. "His…his case is there in the guest room in the closet."

Grindelwald halted his attack, straightening, running a shaky hand through his hair.

"Get it."

Queenie started to, standing up, but Grindelwald held out a hand.

"No," he pointed to Jacob, "him."

Jacob gulped and looked down at Newt, who was violently shaking on the ground. There was blood all over the carpet, running from his nose and mouth. He looked over at Queenie who looked terrified, but gave him a reassuring nod. He walked into the guest room where he and Newt had been staying and went to the closet, pulling out Newt's case and returning to the living room. With a shaky hand, he handed the case to Grindelwald and stepped backwards to stand next to Queenie.

Newt painfully worked his way to his knees, his breathing coming out in hitches. He spit blood onto the floor.

Grindelwald gripped the case and reached down to grab Newt, pulling him up to his feet with his wand.

He looked at Queenie.

"Remember what I said."

Newt looked at Queenie too, then Jacob; he was at least glad that Grindelwald didn't kill them, but his heart sank when he thought of his road ahead with Grindelwald. He felt a catch in his throat as he looked at his two friends who were staring back with such concerned gazes. He wished he could stay, more than anything in the world. He wished that Dumbledore could have stopped Grindelwald earlier in the tunnel. He wished that he was with Tina, that he could tell her how he felt in person. But now, he wasn't sure if he'd ever get the chance and it was killing him. The knowledge of it almost hurt more than all the pain he was in. If he just held on, maybe he'd see her again, maybe he could tell her…

He noticed that Queenie was crying and he realized she had been reading his mind.

" _I'll see you all soon. I promise,"_ he thought.

Queenie nodded ever so slightly, tears streaming down her face and then _crack!_

They were gone.


	4. Gone

**So next chapter is a little short, so I decided to post it ahead of schedule.**

 **Enjoy :)**

* * *

Queenie walked over to the sofa and practically collapsed on it, her head now in her hands. Jacob was just standing still, still staring at the spot where Newt had been just moments before.

He mumbled quietly, "What now?"

Queenie kept her head in her hands; Jacob had asked the million-dollar question. It was a question she had no clue how to answer. She knew Grindelwald's plan, it almost cost her life, but she knew it nonetheless. But what now? She didn't know where Dumbledore was to tell him, but it didn't really matter anyways, he was already looking for Credence.

She dug her head further in her hands; why was this happening to them? Why was it happening to Newt?

Suddenly, another _crack!_ pulled her out of her thoughts and Tina was at her side, sitting next to her with her arm on her shoulder, looking at her bruised neck.

"Queenie, what happened?"

Queenie sobbed and Jacob answered instead.

"Newt and…Grindelwald, they were here. Grindelwald attacked Queenie."

Tina looked up a Jacob sharply.

"Wha…"

"He wanted Newt's case," Jacob continued. "I don't know why, but that's what he wanted. Queenie read his mind and he kind of…lost it."

Tina set her jaw, looking at her sister with concern.

"Are you alright?"

Queenie nodded and looked up at Tina, her eyes red, that familiar feeling of helplessness settling over her.

"I'm fine. Newt though, oh, he's in such bad shape, Teenie."

Tina held her sister's face in her hands and spoke softly but sternly.

"Queenie, what did you hear in Grindelwald's head. What's he planning?"

Queenie looked Tina square in the eyes.

"He's setting a trap for Credence at MACUSA. And Newt's the bait."

* * *

 _In a dark, abandoned alley way…_

Grindelwald apparated, gripping Newt firmly in one hand and Newt's case in the other. In a rush, he set down the case and shoved Newt up against the wall, forcing him to sit on the ground, gasping in pain.

"Don't make a sound."

Newt didn't argue. In fact, he was feeling rather weak at the moment, the day's events were starting to take their toll on him especially now that his adrenaline was starting to wear off.

Grindelwald started pacing in front of Newt and Newt couldn't help but wonder what for. Was he meeting someone?

He received a near immediate answer to his question as someone apparated near them in the dark alley.

Newt squinted in the dark. Wait a minute, he'd seen that face before…

Abernathy, from MACUSA.

They started whispering to one another, but it wasn't hard to eavesdrop since there was only quiet all around them.

"Did you bring it?" Grindelwald's whisper was harsh and immediate.

Newt could tell that Abernathy was nervous as he stuck out a shaking hand, holding what appeared to be a flask; he shot a nervous glance at Newt as Grindelwald took it.

"Th…that should last you another 3 days. B...but it's all that's left."

Grindelwald smiled as he unscrewed the cap. "That's perfect. I won't need to keep up this disguise for too long."

He threw back his head a took a swig from the flask. Newt knew what was going to happen, but he still couldn't stop the shiver that ran down his spine as he watched Grindelwald change back into Percival Graves.

Abernathy looked even more nervous than before and Newt saw him take a small step back.

Grindelwald put the flask in his inner jacket pocket and clasped Abernathy on the shoulder.

"Thank you, son. You will be greatly rewarded for your service."

Abernathy smiled, relieved until a flash of green illuminated the dark alley way. The green flash shot out of Grindelwald's wand, which he had hidden up his sleeve, and it struck Abernathy square in the chest. As quickly as the flash came, it was gone. Newt flattened himself against the wall, breathing heavily as he squinted through the darkness at the silhouette of the now dead Abernathy laying on the ground.

Grindelwald straightened and started brushing off his jacket, turning toward Newt and grabbing his case.

Newt looked up at Grindelwald with a new appreciation, with a new level of fear. He had been tortured at the hands of Grindelwald, so he had experienced some of his madness, his evil, but to see him kill a man so nonchalantly, it was something else entirely. He killed him because he had become useless. That gave Newt something to be thankful for, at least; he was still useful.

Grindelwald waved his wand and Newt involuntarily flinched but, when he looked down at his body, he saw that his clothes had been repaired and cleaned, even though his injuries remained underneath.

As Grindelwald gripped Newt's arm and they disapparated to who-knows-where, Newt couldn't help but feel a stab of fear.

 _But how long will I be useful?_

With another _crack,_ they apparated in an office. Newt felt his knees slam to the ground and he quickly scanned his new surroundings. It was an offic, but it was a grand sort of office, with handsome wooden furnishings and gold embellishments everywhere. He recognized it almost immediately as he had been there once before.

It was Madame Picquery's office.

Newt was dragged to his feet once again and he heard three _pops_ as three different people appeared before them, one of them being Madame Picquery herself and the other two men that Newt had never seen before.

"Graves, I got your message. What is this about? Did you catch the obscurus?" Picquery had taken a step towards them, a look of curiosity and cautiousness on her face.

Grindelwald inclined his head ever so slightly, still gripping Newt's arm, motioning to him with his other hand.

"Madame President, this is the man who brought the obscurial to New York. Remember, Tina brought him and that no-maj to our meeting? I found an obscurus in his case. It was somehow separated from its host, so it was harmless. However, I know for certain that he is the reason the other obscurus is wreaking havoc on our city."

Newt opened his mouth to protest, his heart beating hard against his chest.

"No, that's not…"

"Silence." Picquery held out a hand then turned to Grindelwald. "In your note to us, you said you had the obscurial."

Grindelwald nodded and sighed. "I did, Madame President. I had tracked him down to the subway tunnels. It was there that I found this man. Somehow, he got away from us. He had found the obscurial and was trying to reason with him. He told him that he would take him back to London, that it was all his fault that he had gotten out."

Grindelwald paused, watching as Picquery took in his every word; he had her.

"Then the obscurial attacked and," he motioned to Newt again, "you can see how powerful and out of control it is."

Grindelwald locked eyes with Newt, and smiled just a little, almost daring for him to say something, to speak out on his own behalf.

Picquery's commanding voice pulled Newt's attention toward her.

"Do you know where the obscurial is now?"

Newt shook his head, trying to think fast.

"No. Look, it's not…it's not like that. At all." Newt's voice was quivering but he could hear himself getting louder. "What he's telling you, it's a lie!"

Picquery looked at Grindelwald then motioned to the two men standing next to her.

"Take him down to the holding cells. Graves and I need to have a chat."

Newt tried pulling away as the men gripped his arms, pulling him out the door.

"No!" He yelled. "He's not Percival Graves!"

The men had dragged him out the door now and just as it was shutting Newt yelled out, "He's Grindelwald! Gellert Grindelwald!"


	5. Back Again

**Thanks again for the reviews! Hope you all enjoy chapter 5. :)**

* * *

 _Back at Tina's Apartment…_

Tina had started pacing the length of their apartment, brow furrowed, lost in thought; her head was swimming with the words Queenie had just spoke to her.

Grindelwald's plan was smart, she had to give him that. What better place to hide but MACUSA? No one would suspect him if he resumed the identity of Graves. He would be protected and had Newt in the perfect position to lure Credence in; surely it would be the first place he'd think to go since he knew that Grindelwald had worked there.

Another thought came to her.

Newt…he'd still be in trouble. Grindelwald would have told them that Newt was responsible for Credence and his attack and that he was the only one who knew of his location.

Tina felt a catch in her throat at this thought.

She knew that interrogations happened at MACUSA, she just didn't know exactly what they entailed; that was higher level stuff that was way above her pay grade. _They have to have limitations, right?_ She thought to herself. _They can't just do what they want to someone, even if they're a suspected criminal, in order to get answers out of them._

She bit her lip as a nagging doubt crept in her mind, and she heard another voice in her head.

 _But this is such a serious matter for wizard kind. As far as they know, if they don't find the obscurus, war is going to break out between us and the no-majs._

She sighed and stopped pacing, looking at Queenie, who was still sitting on the couch, staring at the floor; Newt's blood was still scattered across it. Tina knew she was reading her mind.

 _Except they're going to unknowingly lure Credence into MACUSA and most likely start a war._

"What do we do now?" Jacob piped up, pulling Tina out of her thoughts.

Tina sighed. For the first time during this whole night, she felt completely hopeless. Credence was gone and Dumbledore had chased him to who knew where. Right now, Tina felt like it was all on her shoulders and she simply didn't know what to do. But, as she looked into the tired, yet eager eyes of Jacob and Queenie, she somehow knew what they had to do. They had to, because it was better than sitting around waiting for the worst to happen.

Queenie nodded, having read her sister's mind, and hopped to her feet.

Tina felt a rush of adrenaline.

"We have to go to MACUSA. If…if we can somehow convince Picquery that Graves is actually Grindelwald, maybe we can stop this whole thing in time. Maybe we can explain it all to her."

"Do you think she'll listen?" Jacob asked, an anxious note in his voice.

Tina glanced at Queenie who looked down at the ground.

"I…I don't know. But we have to try, right?"

Jacob nodded setting his jaw and looking at Queenie who had grabbed his arm.

"Then let's go."

There was a _crack_ and they were gone.

* * *

 _On the streets of New York…_

Dumbledore was no ordinary wizard, but he was finding it extraordinarily difficult to track down Credence. He apparated all along the streets of New York, occasionally finding some remnant of his destruction that pointed him the right direction, but Credence was so fast and unpredictable.

Dumbledore apparated across the street from a building that was completely torn apart and he didn't know why, but he knew he had found him. He walked towards the carnage and stepped inside, immediately observing a dead woman on the ground. He observed her for a moment but it didn't take long to know that Credence had been responsible.

"She deserved what she got." A small voice came from the other side of the room.

Dumbledore chose not to respond to that.

"Credence, I need to get you out of this city."

He paused but Credence remained silent, his back to Dumbledore.

"Grindelwald, he wants to lure you in. He wants to use you, use your power for evil, terrible things."

Credence turned toward Dumbledore, his face blank.

"And what do you want with me? Why are you so interested in me?"

"Because, Credence, you are a special young man. I only want you to be safe."

Dumbledore saw tears rolling down Credence's face, he was shaking slightly.

"That's what everyone keeps saying, but nobody seemed to care too much about my safety before they knew I had magic powers."

Dumbledore sighed.

"You're right, Credence. You didn't deserve the life you had. It was unfair and cruel. But I can assure you, that I had known you and your situation before all of this, I would have done everything within my power to help you. I can't go back and change the past, but I can offer you a safe and promising future."

Credence considered this and he felt some of his anger ebb away. But then he looked at his mother, dead on the ground, and his thoughts went back to Newt, of Grindelwald torturing him in the subway tunnel. And it was all his fault. Newt was being hurt because of him.

He felt his body shaking, convulsing violently and, before he knew it, he had changed into the obscurus. He didn't know what he was doing, all he knew was anger and pain and it was consuming him.

Dumbledore watched with apprehension as Credence roared upward toward the ceiling and then, in a great rush, he barreled down toward the doors.

"Credence!"

It was clear that Credence was on a mission, his only focus was getting to Grindelwald. He had busted through the wall when the tail end of his form struck Dumbledore hard, throwing him against the nearby wall.

Dumbledore crumpled against the wall, watching Credence charge through the streets through heavy eyelids. He tried to fight to stay conscious, but it wasn't long until the blackness sucked him in.

* * *

 _Back at MACUSA…_

"You're certain that he knows where the obscurial is?" Picquery demanded.

Grindelwald nodded his head vigorously. "Yes, absolutely."

Picquery nodded, but she seemed unsure. She looked at Grindelwald, who was staring at her intently.

"You don't believe me?" His tone was soft, but had an edge to it.

Picquery considered this for a moment before shaking her head.

"No…no, of course I do."

She looked at Grindelwald like she was searching him with her eyes.

"Can you get an answer out of him?"

Grindelwald smiled slightly, a feeling of relief blossoming inside of him.

"Yes."

Picquery turned her gaze through one of the windows, looking into the night.

"Then do it. Our lives may depend on it."

She walked closer to the window and turned to look at Grindelwald.

"I'll have him moved right away."

Grindelwald nodded and turned away, walking toward the door, a smile spreading on his face.

He walked through the empty halls until he reached the stairwell, descending further and further into the depths of the building. He stepped out into a large long and wide room, with cells on either side of him. He walked, his steps echoing across the empty floors, until he reached a heavy, metal door at the end of the room. It revealed a large round room, with 7 different metal doors spread out around the walls. Grindelwald walked straight through the door in the middle.

Newt watched with trepidation as the metal door in front of him swung open and a familiar sense of foreshadowing swept over him. He felt his stomach drop as he watched Grindelwald step inside the large room, closing and locking the door behind him. Newt sat up as straight as he could in his chair, even though his body screamed out in protest, his arms tied behind him.

"So," Grindelwald sat on a chair opposite of Newt, facing him, "here we are again."

Newt didn't answer, instead he just stared at Grindelwald, trying to control his breathing; he felt like he was on the verge of a panic attack.

Grindelwald smiled and stood, walking around Newt.

"You know, this will be the first place Credence will think to look for you."

Newt furrowed his brow.

"And how's that?"

"He knows that I work here. I told him once, a long time ago, if he ever needed me, if he was ever in a desperate situation, he could find me here." He replied. "I even brought him here once. I was trying to get closer to him. I thought that if he saw that I worked at such an impressive place full of magic and wonder, he might look up to me more and..."

Grindelwald stopped and stood in front of Newt, looking at the ground. Newt looked at him curiously, realizing he was talking to himself more than to Newt.

"…I thought I could win his trust, his loyalty."

Grindelwald flashed his eyes at Newt.

"And I think I might have, if it hadn't been for your meddling."

Newt squirmed uncomfortably in his seat as Grindelwald bent over to face Newt; he placed his hand on Newt's dislocated shoulder.

"But it's all going to change now. One way or another, it's all going to change."

Grindelwald gradually squeezed harder and Newt gasped in pain. His eyes widened as he put the pieces of Grindelwald's plan together. He was staring into Grindelwald's mad eyes again and he couldn't suppress the fear that seemed to continually blossom inside of him. He groaned as Grindelwald squeezed harder still and then, with a pop, Newt cried out as his shoulder went back into socket.

Grindelwald stood up and pulled out his wand, his face seemed strangely contorted by the single light source over their heads. Newt watched as Grindelwald flicked his wand through the air.

For a split second, nothing happened and then Newt felt a terrible crack in his left arm, right in the middle of his humerus bone. He jumped in his seat and his initial cry of pain quickly turned to screams as he felt the bone being broken in two. He pushed back against his chair as he screamed, his breathing coming out in quick, pained gasps.

Newt looked up at Grindelwald's face through watery, hate filled eyes. He had never felt so much anger and loathing for anyone in his whole life.

Newt set his jaw as he saw Grindelwald flick his wand again. Newt felt an explosion of pain again, in the same spot as before, except this time it felt different. He groaned through gritted teeth as he felt an intense aching in his arm. He cried out as the pain shot down to his fingertips. Finally, it stopped and all he was left with was a painful throbbing in his arm.

Grindwald once again sat on the chair opposite Newt, crossing his legs.

"It's a painful process, isn't it? Breaking a bone." Grindelwald looked at Newt curiously, studying him. "Especially when the process is sped up."

Newt was sagging against his bonds to his right side, trying to relieve some pressure from his arm. He'd had broken bones before, but this was different and worse by far.

Newt watched as Grindelwald lazily flicked his wand again and, even though he knew it was coming, it didn't stop the involuntary scream from escaping his mouth when he felt a crack in his same arm, this time lower down in his forearm. His body was shaking and he couldn't help but pull against his restraints, even though it caused sharp jabs of pain through his arm. He felt a wave of nausea and black dots swam in his vision. The familiar aching and prickling sensation in his arm returned as his vision swam and the darkness pulled him to it's warm, pain-free embrace.

* * *

 _Somewhere in New York…_

Credence flew along the dark alleyways of New York. The lights of the city flashed by as he made his way towards his destination. He had been there once, but it had been a while ago, he couldn't remember exactly where it was. He had lost control back there with Dumbledore and he regretted it. He knew he came close to hitting Dumbledore on his way out, but he was pretty sure he avoided hitting him. All he could think about right now was saving Newt and killing Grindelwald.

As he soared through the streets, he was impressed with how much more control he had over his powers. He no longer crashed into everything near him, instead, he quietly sailed through the alley ways, weaving around obstacles and walls. Sometimes it was hard to control though. Every time he thought about what happened with Newt down at the subway or if he thought about things his mom did to him, he would find himself crashing into a wall until he cleared his mind and pulled himself back on course. He was getting better though.

He funneled downward as he turned into himself, scurrying out of the alleyway and onto the empty sidewalk, looking at the street sign, gauging his location.

"Getting close…" he muttered to himself.

With a rush, he soared upward once again and sailed toward his destination.

* * *

 _At MACUSA…_

Tina, Queenie, and Jacob apparated a block away from MACUSA, taking only a moment to collect their bearings. Tina motioned for them to follow her as they raced along the sidewalk and skidded to a halt in front brass doors.

Tina paused to catch her breath, holding up her identification to the door.

"I need…to speak with…Madame President Picquery. It's urgent!"

They all held their breath for a moment, unsure if anything was going to happen until, suddenly, the doors sprang open, inviting them inside.

"C'mon." Tina ran through the doors into huge room. It was mostly empty, but there were still wizards hard at work. None of them seemed to notice the three frenzied visitors, however, as they all kept working.

Queenie and Jacob followed Tina as she led them up a wide, grand stairway and into an elevator.

"Evening, Goldstein!" A house elf barked, he tipped his hat when he saw Queenie, his tone changing, "And Goldstein." He spotted Jacob. "And…"

"Hi, Red." Tina said, rushed, cutting him off. "Madam Picquery's office, please."

"Madam Picquery, but…"

Tina turned to Red, her eyes pleading. "Please, Red, it's an emergency."

"Alright, alright." Red grumbled.

The doors closed with a bang and they were off.

* * *

 _At Credence's house…_

Dumbledore awoke slowly, pushing himself up to his feet. He stretched his back and assessed himself; fortunately, he seemed to be free of injuries. He knew now, of course, where Credence was heading: MACUSA.

He took only a moment to collect himself until, with a crack, he was gone.


	6. Spark

**As always, I appreciate the reviews and your support! Hope you enjoy chapter 6! :)**

* * *

 _At MACUSA, downstairs…_

Newt felt his eyelids flutter open and he felt the familiar wave of pain flow over him. He slowly opened his eyes, trying to adjust to the light that was shining over his head. He looked ahead, Grindelwald was still sitting in the same chair, reading a newspaper; he seemed quite comfortable and content. Newt, on the other hand, felt like he was about an inch away from death. Maybe not literally, but that's how he felt. On top of the pain in his shoulder, face, and general torso and back area, his whole body ached terribly, especially his left arm, in the two places where Grindelwald had broken and healed his bones.

Grindelwald lazily looked up from his newspaper, glancing at Newt, and looked down again, briefly, before setting the newspaper on the ground.

Newt suddenly felt an uncharacteristic rush of anger.

"No, Credence, yet?"

Newt stared intensely at the crazed man in front of him.

Grindelwald stared at Newt.

"Not yet. But he'll be here soon."

Newt held eye contact.

"Or maybe your plan isn't going to work. Maybe Credence never comes. And, from what Abernathy said, you don't have much polyjuice potion left." Newt felt himself swell with adrenaline. He was probably going to regret what he was saying, but it all seemed to come tumbling out of his mouth. "That means you don't have much time."

Grindelwald snarled and stood up, wand raised, stepping forward to face Newt. His eyes were crazed, worse than Newt had ever seen; he'd definitely pushed him too far.

"Or maybe you don't. Besides, you don't think I'd come here without backup, do you?"

Newt squeezed his jaw tight, feeling a wave of fear.

Grindelwald raised his wand.

* * *

 _In MACUSA…_

Tina, Queenie, and Jacob ran through a corridor towards large doors, pushing through them into a large, handsome room. At a desk in the center, sat Madam President Picquery.

Tina ran up to her desk, ignoring the confused and slightly fearful look on the President's face.

"Madam President," her voice coming out shaky, "Percival Graves…you're not going to believe me…he's actually Gellert Grindelwald."

Tina paused, looking at Picquery expectantly.

Picquery responded calmly.

"That's a very serious accusation, Goldstein. Do you happen to have any proof?"

"Well, no, but..." Tina sputtered.

Picquery stood up.

"Then why should I believe you?"

"Because," Tina felt a jolt of anger, "we've all seen him, Grindelwald. He was in a subway tunnel and he kidnapped and tortured Newt for the location of the obscurus. We found him, but he disapparated with Newt."

Tina paused, breathing heavily, watching Picquery carefully. She seemed to be considering what Tina was saying, but she didn't speak so Tina continued.

"Grindelwald apparated to mine and Queenie's apartment, looking for Newt's case." Tina hesitated. "Then he disapparated again. The obscurus, he's a boy named Credence, Grindelwald's trying to lure him here, to get him to join forces with him. And…and even if he doesn't, Credence is going to go crazy, I don't think...he doesn't have enough control…"

Picquery nodded, interrupting quietly.

"He'll likely expose us and start a war."

Tina sighed with relief.

"Yes, exactly. If you let us deal with Credence before he gets out of control and you and your team catch Grindelwald, I think everything will be…"

A sudden, distant crash, interrupted Tina and the four of them turned toward the sound.

"Too late." Jacob mumbled.

"Go." Picquery said, a twinge of panic to her voice. She proceeded to wave her wand through the air and then held it to her throat, speaking.

Tina and Queenie ran out the door towards Credence, but Jacob stayed behind, he had an idea.

Once Picquery finished, Jacob turned to her.

"Um, Madam President? Do you have Newt's case?"

For a moment she looked confused, but then she bent down behind her desk, emerging with Newt's case. She hesistated.

"What do you need it for?"

Jacob smiled.

"I think there might be some much needed help in there."

* * *

"Crucio!"

Newt spasmed in his chair, not having much room to move, screaming through his already raw throat. Grindelwald didn't stop and Newt's spasms of pain quickly turned to violent shaking. His whole body felt like it was being dipped in molten lava, there was no way he could come out of this one. Not this time.

 _You have to._ A small voice echoed inside his head.

 _You've come this far._

And then, it stopped.

Newt sagged forward in his chair, pulling against his restraints. It took him a minute before he looked up, noticing the red light flashing in the room and a women's voice coming from the air.

 _Attention, MACUSA employees, this is an emergency. Gellert Grindelwald has entered the building and is highly dangerous. This is not a test. All able bodied personnel to the control room. Everyone else, evacuate immediately._

Newt felt another rush of adrenaline, fighting past the pain, and sitting up in his chair, pulling against his bonds unsuccessfully.

Grindelwald turned towards the door, as if to leave, and then paused. Firstly, he pointed his wand to himself, changing his appearance back into his own.

"No need now..." Newt heard him mutter.

Then, he turned back to Newt and rushed toward him, raising his wand so it was touching Newt's chest. Newt pulled back, breathing deep, looking into Grindelwald's crazed eyes.

 _This is it. This is finally it._

He closed his eyes and waited.

But nothing came. He opened his eyes and looked into Grindelwald's again. Then he saw something flash in Grindelwald's eyes that he hadn't seen this far.

Uncertainty.

Grindelwald gave Newt one last fleeting look and then he bolted out the door. Newt let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding as he looked around the now empty room. He noticed that the crashing sounds, which he assumed to be Credence, had stopped.

* * *

 _In MACUSA…_

Tina and Queenie ran toward the sound of Credence; he certainly wasn't making it hard to find him. They ran down corridors, down stairs, and through doors until they finally found him. He was in the main lobby: a large room with an open center, an endless pit below; the large, magical clock loomed overhead, it's arm pointing to extreme danger. He appeared to have calmed down as he was now hovering high above, swirling around the clock; he almost looked peaceful. Tina and Queenie stopped and stared at Credence before another voice startled them both.

"Tina, Queenie. Are they here?"

It was Dumbledore and he looked like a man on a mission. He also looked like he had just been in fight involving a lot of dust and debris.

"Oh, dear." Queenie looked at Dumbledore, who gave her a small smile.

Tina looked at her sister inquisitively, before answering Dumbledore's question.

"Yes. I'm guessing their down in one of the interrogation rooms; we need to hurry"

They all looked up as Credence appeared to be getting more agitated. With a great roar, he took off past them, blasting across the floor and down the steps, apparently he heard them.

Tina and Queenie sped after him without another word, but Dumbledore stayed put. He didn't know why, but he knew he needed to stay.

He whipped around as he heard a crack and Grindelwald apparated across the room, the large empty expanse between them.

"Dumbledore." Grindelwald snarled.

Dumbledore inclined his hand, raising his wand.

"Grindelwald. I think Credence is getting away."

Grindelwald smiled.

"I'll catch up with him. For now, I think it's time to settle an old grudge.

It was Dumbledore's turn to smile, but it was with sadness.

"It doesn't have to be this way."

Grindelwald said nothing. Instead, he raised his wand and shot a lightning blue spell across the room. Dumbledore was amazingly fast though, shooting a spell at the exact same time. The two spells struck each other in midair, sending out sparks across the room. The light from the contact bounced across the dimly lit room, throwing strange shadows on the walls.

Dumbledore remained steady as he saw movement out of his peripheral vision; reinforcements had come. But, they weren't all on Dumbledore's side. He glanced over and watched as witches and wizards battled one another. Some were from MACUSA, some were Grindelwald's followers. Lights blazed, and Dumbledore saw some people fall, unsure of which side they were on.

He set his jaw and grimaced, feeling a flash of anger and adrenaline.

The battle had begun.

He just hoped it could be contained before a war erupted.


	7. Swarm

Here's chapter 7, hope you all enjoy! It's gonna get crazy!

* * *

 _Downstairs…_

Credence sailed down the steps, not knowing exactly where he was going. He'd heard Tina tell Dumbledore that Newt was down in one of the interrogation rooms. There was nowhere else to go, no other way to make things right; he had to save Newt. He finally reached the bottom and found himself in a large, long room, lined with cells on either side. He transformed into himself and ran along the length of the dark room, spotting a large metal door at the end. Intuition told him he was in the right place. He pushed the door opened and prepared for attack, he still thought Grindelwald was with Newt. No attack came; instead, he was faced with 7 different doors lined in a circular shape. Again, he relied on his gut feeling and walked to the door straight ahead, pushing it open tentatively.

His eyes went wide when he saw Newt, who was weakly trying to pull out of his bonds. Credence was amazed that he was still fighting, he looked so beaten and weak. Newt looked up with a start when he heard the door open and saw Credence walk in, breathing a deep sigh of relief.

"Credence."

Credence couldn't speak, he just stared, still standing with the door open.

"Credence," Newt looked at him through one eye, the other black and swollen. "Credence, I know this must be frightening for you, to see me like this. I can only imagine what I look like…but I need you to untie me."

Credence stared at him blankly, in shock.

"Credence?"

Credence nodded his head, pulling himself back to reality.

"Yeah…yes, sorry…"

He stumbled forward, behind Newt, fumbling for a minute with Newt's bonds before he finally untied him.

"Ah, thank you, Credence."

Newt slowly pulled his arms in front of him, gently massaging his wrists and arm, where Grindelwald had broken it.

Credence walked around in front of Newt, prepared to help him in any way he could. He couldn't stop looking at Newt through sympathetic eyes. And he felt so guilty. On one hand he felt like it was his fault that all of this had happened to Newt but, on the other hand, he felt a raging anger toward Grindelwald; he was the one who had started all this. He was the one who had done this to Newt.

The thought made him shiver with anger.

"Grindelwald did all this to you?"

It was more like a statement rather than a question, but Newt responded nonetheless, through a heavy sigh.

"Yes."

The sound of impending footsteps caused Newt and Credence to look at the door, which swung open, revealing Tina and Queenie.

Tina ran forward at Newt instantly.

"Newt! Oh my gosh."

She skidded to a halt in front of him, running a hand through his hair, the other resting gently on his face, inspecting him and his injuries. Queenie stood back, a hand on her mouth.

Tina grabbed Newt's bloodied and bruised wrists in her shaking hands.

"God, Newt."

She tried looking at his eyes, but he was avoiding eye contact.

Tina slowly pushed his sleeve of his long sleeve shirt up on his left arm. Newt made a motion to stop her, but she continued, gasping when she saw the damage underneath. Two ugly, purple and black bruises covered Newt's bicep and forearm.

"What did he do to you?" She asked, breathy.

Newt started to answer but then just shook his head. He finally looked up at her, right in her concern filled eyes. He felt a flash of appreciation for her, for having people that cared so much for his well-being.

"I can't. I'll tell you, someday, but right now, I can't."

He felt a catch in his throat and Tina slowly nodded her head, understanding.

Suddenly, they heard crashing coming from overhead.

Queenie spoke up.

"Dumbledore."

Tina took charge.

"Credence, why don't you stay here with Newt and…"

"No." Credence replied firmly. "I want to go with you. I can control it now, I can help."

Tina looked at Newt, who was standing up with immense difficulty.

"I'll go too. I can't spend another minute in this room."

Reluctantly, Tina nodded.

"Alright, let's go."

Queenie grabbed Credence and they all apparated to the main floor to help Dumbledore.

* * *

When the four of them arrived to help Dumbledore, it was unlike anything they had ever seen. Reinforcements had arrived and they, including Dumbledore, were all trying to take Grindelwald down.

Unfortunately, Grindelwald had some reinforcements of his own, making it almost equal on both sides.

They all moved to hide behind a large desk that had been pushed toward the wall. Tina waved her wand, bringing another large desk into the air and atop the other so they were well hidden.

Movement to their left caught Tina's attention and she watched as Jacob ran toward them, Newt's case in hand. He skidded to a halt in front of them, breathing heavy, out of breath.

"Tina…Queenie…Credence…and," He spotted Newt, his eyes going wide, "Newt."

Newt was leaning against the wall, fighting against the urge to sit down and pass out. When he saw Jacob with his case though, it gave him a rush of relief and gratitude.

"Jacob…my case, you have it."

Jacob set the case next to Newt, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, his eyes full of concern.

"Yeah, yeah I got it. Thought you might be wanting it." He chuckled nervously. "Oh, I also have this."

Jacob handed Newt his wand and he cracked a small smile, taking it.

"Newt." Tina was looking out into the battle, watching bodies dropping; some were people she knew and worked with. "Do you have anything in that case that might help take down Grindelwald? Cause it looks like we're losing."

Newt peered between a crack in the desks and, sure enough, Grindelwald's followers seemed to be overtaking MACUSA's aurors, meaning Dumbledore would be on his own soon.

"I'll go…" Credence took a step forward, ready to transform, but Tina stopped him.

"No, Credence. Not yet."

Newt racked his brain, thinking hard and fast. Then, it dawned on him.

"Jacob." He turned to his friend, almost frantic. "Can you go in my case and get the Swooping Evil?"

Jacob nodded and popped Newt's case open, ready to hop inside.

"Oh, and Jacob." Newt remembered something. "There's a vial on my worktable. It's bright orange, not hard to miss. Can you grab that too?"

Jacob looked at him quizzically but nodded, disappearing down the steps.

Then Tina remembered something.

"Oh, Newt!"

He looked over at her as she put a hand in her front pocket, pulling out a squeaking Pickett, who was reaching for Newt.

"Pickett." He breathed, reaching out and grabbing him, holding out his hand flat for him to stand on. "Oh, it's good to see you."

Pickett squeaked in agreement but then made another noise that sounded like concern.

Newt smiled sadly. "I know, I know. I'll be alright, though, don't worry."

He set Pickett in his shirt's front pocket, trying to ignore the dried blood that covered it. He couldn't explain how comforting it was to have Pickett with him once again.

It didn't take long for Jacob to appear with the Swooping Evil in hand, but he looked a little disheveled.

Newt immediately noticed.

"Did he give you some trouble?"

Jacob smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, it took a little convincing that I was your friend. But he came around."

Newt smiled wryly.

"And here's this." Jacob held out his hand, the vial full of bright orange liquid inside.

Newt grabbed it, grateful. "Thank you, Jacob."

Tina eyed it curiously.

"What is it?"

Newt grimaced.

"It's poison from a Doxy. When properly diluted, it can be used as a painkiller." Newt carefully placed three drops on his tongue and shivered, feeling the effects; the pain lessened slightly. "It won't totally get rid of the pain, but it definitely helps."

Tina pulled her gaze away from Newt toward the battle before them.

"I'd hurry Newt; things are getting worse out there."

Newt nodded, taking the Swooping Evil from Jacob and uncoiling it so it was hovering in front of him. He spoke to it softly.

"Now, I need you to do me a big favor. The biggest favor I've ever asked of you. I need you to distract Grindelwald's men. Do not attack anyone else. Can you do this?"

The Swooping Evil responded by shooting out it's long tongue, licking Newt's face.

"Oh, and don't eat their brains, please."

The Swooping Evil nodded slightly and took off, soaring through the air, fast as lightning. Newt looked through the crack between the desk, watching as it proceeded to fly around the room, diving down and striking Grindelwald's men, giving the aurors an edge on them.

Tina watched for a split second before gathering her courage, turning to Newt.

"I have to go out there."

Newt nodded, understanding but not wanting her to do it. Not wanting any of this to be happening.

But he knew that he had to too.

He gripped his wand tightly in his hand.

"Let's go then."

Tina nodded grimly, turning toward Credence and Jacob.

"You two stay behind here. Credence, if things look like they're getting bad, you do your thing."

Credence nodded, eager to prove himself now.

Tina gave a fleeting glance at both her sister and Newt, who was obviously still in pain. Despite the pain, he nodded at them both and they all rushed out into the battle.

Newt watched Queenie joined a nearby battle and he watched as the Swooping Evil did its job, endlessly weaving around the witches and wizards, occasionally diving and striking one of Grindelwald's followers.

Tina grabbed Newt's arm.

"We need to help Dumbledore."

Newt nodded, his blood like ice inside of him.

He was deeply conflicted.

On one side, he didn't want to fight. He'd never been a fighter even though he'd been forced to on a few occasions.

On the other side, he felt this inexplicable hate and anger towards Grindelwald. All of the pain and suffering that they had all endured, especially him, all at the hands of Grindelwald was too much for him to cope with. It brought about a flurry of emotions he'd never felt before.

He wanted justice.

He wanted revenge.

He wanted to just run away.

It was complicated.

As all this flashed through his mind, he followed Tina, knowing that he had to do this. Even if it meant he might die, that they both might die. They were getting closer to Grindelwald and Newt felt his blood roar in his ears, pushing past the pain that was ever present.

They were so close now.

Tina shot out a spell but Grindelwald deflected it. He was amazingly fast. Newt followed suit, sending out a spell, catching Grindelwald off guard. It slammed into Grindelwald's shoulder, sending him skidding back a few feet.

Newt felt grim satisfaction, but it was short lived.

Newt and Tina dodged as Grindelwald shot a flurry of blue lightning bolts their direction. Newt had crossed paths with them on several occasions and he had no desire to do so again.

Dumbledore shot spells at Grindelwald, turning his attention away from Newt and Tina. He then began circling around the room, closing the distance between himself and Grindelwald, trying to trap him in between himself and Newt and Tina.

Newt and Tina followed suit, converging on Grindelwald. It was like a dangerous yet delicate dance as each party continuously shot and deflected spells.

Grindelwald was nearly backed into the wall now, surrounded by Dumbledore, Tina, and Newt. Newt was glad to see that Grindelwald was sweating with exertion.

And then, everything happened at once. Grindelwald sent a great flurry of spells toward Dumbledore, which caused him to fly back across the room, into the swarm of the battle.

Then, he sent a wave of lightning toward Newt.

He saw it coming but he couldn't stop it.

It hit him with a great electric force, knocking him down to the ground on his back. He screamed and spasmed on the ground, trying to roll over and stand up; to rejoin the fight.

He looked up at Tina, her face full of concentration and fear as she tried to stay focused. She was alone in the battle. She was fighting him alone.

Newt pushed himself to his knees, feeling the effects of the shock wearing off. As he struggled to get up, he watched as Tina barely deflected a spell, the force of it sent her skidding backwards.

Then he noticed that she was up against the railing. She was no longer deflecting the spells and then the vicious lightning was striking her over and over, pushing her against the railing.

Newt couldn't stand, he couldn't do anything. He gripped his wand but he couldn't speak or utter a spell. He could hear her crying out but he couldn't stop it. He was helpless.

Then she was hovering above the ground, body limp, but still conscious.

Newt cried out, realizing what was happening.

"No!"

He stumbled to his feet, turning to face Grindelwald, shooting spells at him which he deflected easily. Grindelwald was using his free hand to levitate Tina in the air and he waved his wand through the air, sending more lightning at Newt.

It struck him hard again. He didn't scream this time as it knocked him back, sending his body spasming violently once again.

It was over.

They lost.

He looked up at Tina, who was now hovering above the endless pit; she was crying.

"No…please, no." He mumbled through the electricity coursing through him; he was crying too.

"I love you, Newt."

Newt sobbed as he struggled to regain control over his body. If he could only reach her, feel her warm embrace. All he could see was her. There wasn't a battle raging on behind them. There wasn't Dumbledore or Grindelwald or anyone. It was just them.

It was just her.

"I love you too."

And then, she fell.


	8. Blindness

Queenie tried to push through the battle and reach her sister but she knew she knew it was impossible. There were too many bodies, too much fighting. She could feel her sister's panic in her head, her feelings of fear and love and sadness. She could feel Newt's desperation, his wild anger that was building up, quickly masking over the feelings of love and fear.

She could barely see them beyond the crowd, but she felt it before she saw it.

Her sister had fallen.

* * *

 _Moments earlier…_

"I need to go out there."

Jacob grabbed Credence's arm.

"I don't know if that's a good idea…"

"No," Credence's voice was suddenly edgy and anxious. "I have to. I can feel it."

Jacob opened his mouth to protest but it was too late. Creedence was changing. Suddenly, he was a swirling black mass, hovering calmly before Jacob. He wasn't big this time, he was actually about the size of a man, but he was definitely no longer himself.

With a rush, he soared up above, toward the battle ahead.

* * *

"NO!" Newt pushed past the pain and rose to his feet charging towards Grindelwald. He yelled with anger and pain and everything he was feeling at the moment as he shot spell after spell at Grindelwald. He didn't care what happened to himself anymore. He just wanted Grindelwald to pay. He wanted justice.

Grindelwald took steps back as he began to struggle to deflect Newt's attack. He found opportunities to counter attack, but Newt deflected them in a blind fury as he got closer and closer to Grindelwald.

Newt fought and fought, hardly believing that it was him that was actually doing all this. That is was him that was pushing back the great Gellert Grindelwald.

He fought until Grindelwald was up against the wall with nowhere else to go. He fought until Grindelwald's wand flew out of his hand. He still didn't stop. He couldn't.

He kept fighting, even though Grindelwald was now writhing on the ground. Defenseless, squirming around in pain, like Newt had been doing not too long ago.

Feeling the helplessness and pain he'd become so accustomed too.

Grindelwald killed her and Newt couldn't stop.

He didn't feel satisfaction but he felt a sense of justice; not for himself but for Tina.

Then, he heard an impossible voice that made him stop. It brought him back to his senses, just like in the tunnels.

"Newt, stop!"

* * *

 _Moments earlier…_

Credence flew through the air, ready to join the battle.

He saw her immediately. One minute she was hovering in midair, the next she was gone, falling.

He flew as fast as he could towards her, barreling down the opening, reaching for her. She reached out for him too as she dropped down further and further.

Credence reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling upward, pulling her away from the seemingly endless abyss and towards the light and towards the battle up above.

* * *

Newt turned around, halting his frenzy of an attack; Grindelwald slumped against the wall, unconscious.

He looked at Tina before him, her hair a crazy mess, blood trickling from a gash on her forehead.

It was impossible.

He took a step toward her and saw Credence behind her.

 _Of course, Credence._

And there was Dumbledore, a ways off behind Tina, standing there as calm as can be.

Then Newt noticed there was silence.

The battle was over.

They'd won.

Newt felt a lump in his throat as he stumbled towards Tina, falling to his knees. She was there in an instant, holding him close.

It was all too much.

Everything.

He held her close too as they both comforted each other.

Newt pulled away, still holding onto Tina's shoulders, he was frantic.

"I'm sorry, Tina. I couldn't save you. I…" He glanced back at the unconscious Grindelwald.

Tina cupped Newt's face in her hands and she smiled sadly at him.

"Newt…it's over, it's all over."

Then Dumbledore was there and Queenie and Jacob and Credence. They were all there and Newt felt a flood of gratitude, then a flood of pain. He smiled weakly as he slowly collapsed to the ground, the concerned faces of his friends were swirling all around him.

He could hear Tina calling his name, but her voice was muffled, like she was drifting away.

Or maybe he was the one drifting away.

He heard a small squeak and looked down through blurry eyes at Pickett who was standing on his chest, some of his leaves singed from the battle. He tried to raise a hand to hold him, but he couldn't move.

"Pickett…" He slurred.

Then, he finally slipped away.

* * *

 **This is a super short chapter so I'll post the final chapter tomorrow! :)**


	9. Scars

Hi, all! Well, here it is. The last chapter! Thank you all so much for reading and following this story. I am planning on writing a sequel, but it'll be a little while before I get that posted. In the meantime, hope you enjoy the final chapter of this story!

* * *

Newt awoke to find the same faces staring at him except, this time, he was not in the same place. He slowly lifted his heavy eyelids and blinked several times before he could clearly see his friends around him. It looked like he was in a hospital room of sorts, the walls were white with cheerful paintings scattered across the walls, depicting scenes of flowers and wheat fields blowing gently from the wind. It looked so peaceful.

He distantly wished he could be there. In a grassy meadow, feeling the cool summer breeze drifting by. With Tina by his side.

Tina…

Newt's eyes shot open and he looked at each face that was hovering around his bed. He subconsciously named off each face: Dumbledore, Queenie, Jacob, Credence…Tina.

She was there; she was alive. He hadn't been sure what had been a nightmare and what had been real.

But there she was, right by his side, her strong hand in his. He saw she had a bruise on the side of her face and a cut on her forehead; she was smiling though and it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

His vision was clearing and he became aware that his friends were all looking at him, murmuring to one another, no doubt about him and his well-being.

He felt Tina squeeze his hand.

"Newt."

His eyes slowly drifted toward her once again and he smiled.

"Tina."

"How are you feeling?"

Newt chuckled as he tried sitting up in his bed. Dumbledore lent a hand to help and Newt was surprised by how strong he was.

"That's a loaded question." He paused as his eyes drifted down to his bed covers and then back at Tina. "How are you feeling? What happened?"

Tina turned to Credence, smiling still.

"Credence saved me. He swooped in and saved the day."

Newt too looked at Credence who was clearly embarrassed by the sudden attention on him.

"Thank you, Credence."

Credence was wringing his hands with anxiety, but a smile spread to his face; he didn't know how to respond so he didn't.

Dumbledore spoke up, his voice soft but strong as always.

"The nurses feel confident that you will make a full recovery." Newt nodded, thankful for that. "It will take time, however and they won't be able to heal past the scarring. The damage you've sustained was…extensive. But, you'll be alright, in time."

His kind blue eyes twinkled as he looked at Newt, already anticipating his questions.

"What happened to Grindelwald?"

Dumbledore smiled.

"He has been arrested and placed under the highest level of security known to wizard kind. He will go on trial in one month's time and his fate will be decided then."

Dumbledore suddenly reach into his robes as if he'd forgotten something.

"Ah, yes. That reminds me." He pulled out an empty glass vial. "I'll need to extract your memories as evidence for the trial."

He made an inclining motion with his wand.

"May I?"

Newt nodded and Dumbledore proceeded to gather Newt's memories of everything that happened to him.

When Dumbledore was finished, he stood up abruptly, clasping his hands.

"Well, I suppose we should give Newt some privacy and some time to rest. You all will have plenty of time to visit and catch up later no doubt."

Everyone followed suit, but no one really seemed eager to leave and Newt would have preferred that they didn't. He grabbed Tina's hand and pulled her towards him.

"Tina, can you stay for a while?"

She nodded and smiled as the remaining party left the room and they two of them were left alone. She pulled her chair up close to Newt's bed and leaned over, placing her elbows on his bed, holding his hand.

She asked the question again.

"How are you feeling, Newt?"

He looked at her sadly. He knew what she was asking. The physical wounds would heal; it was the emotional scars that would haunt him.

"I'm…"

But he couldn't find the words; what could he say? He looked into her face, her eyes so eager and full of understanding, so full of concern and affection. He could tell her anything, everything, whatever he was feeling and she would understand.

"Like Dumbledore said, with time I'll be alright. But for now, I just…I don't know." He sighed and spoke slowly. "It is what it is I guess."

He tried to smile but couldn't seem to muster the energy. All of the memories seemed to come back to him as if Dumbledore was forcing them all back in, like they were tumbling into his mind. He found himself staring at Tina's hand in his and he felt a wetness on his face. His eyes flickered toward hers.

"He did such terrible things, Tina."

Now Tina was crying too, still clutching his hand.

Tina nodded.

"I know, but you have me." She put her other hand on Newt's face, forcing him to look at her. "And together we'll get through it, I promise."

Newt couldn't help but smile at the promise of these words.

So the two of them sat, savoring each other's presence and the silence that lingered between them, both eager for the new future ahead of them.


	10. Sequel Update

Hey, guys! I just wanted to let you all know that I am finally starting on the sequel to this story! It's called "Road to Nowhere" and I've just posted the first chapter. It's going to be super angsty and all that good stuff, so I hope y'all like it. ;)


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